The history of China is wrought with wars, droughts, famines, and rising and fallings' of empires, all of which took a toll on China's environment. Behind China's environmental history lie China's main schools of thought; Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism. Confucianism is highly structured and stresses the value of morality, propriety, and social harmony1.
Early Confucianism regarded nature as an uncontrollable force to be conquered. For instance, it supported the idea that, “Man could not stop the coming of winter.” However later Confucian followers, as early as 400 B.C., evolved to believe that by appreciating nature’s laws, man could overcome nature’s superiority and use it for his benefit , If you were to, “Plant your crops according to the changes of season, you [would] have more food than you want[ed].”
Taoists held a more free-spirited train of thought. The Taoist credo was “Let nature take its course! Be yourself! Relax and enjoy life!” Taoism’s lack of structure therefore supported simple living and protected the environment. Unfortunately, it was Taoists’ beliefs that stunted economic development and social progress.
The Legalism school of thought perceived the need for stringent controls and rules to support the growth of China’s population and to address the growing scarcity of food and resources. Legalism was incorporated under the Qin dynasty and established a system of rewards and punishments to encourage appropriate behavior1.
All in all, Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism collectively appreciated and respected nature. However, the dominating school of thought throughout the majority of China’s history has been the Confucian belief in man’s capability to use nature to carry out his needs that has led to the environmental issues china now faces.
